Healthy Schools certification for six Grand Erie schools that committed to health, well-being

Caption: Prince Charles PS is one of the proud recipients

A
number of Grand Erie schools are celebrating a new status this month as
part of a commitment to promoting and enhancing the health and
well-being of students, staff, and the wider community.

Healthy Schools certification took place across Ontario, with six
Grand Erie schools receiving gold, silver, or bronze through Ophea,
which charts completion of the 6-Step Healthy Schools Process, aligning
with the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School
resource, over the course of the year.

Within Grand Erie, Prince Charles Public School and North Ward
School are the proud recipients of gold status. Banbury Heights
Elementary School and Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School
received silver, and Bellview Elementary School and Princess Elizabeth
School secured bronze.

“At Prince Charles, we decided to make greater physical activity a
real priority this year, and everyone, including parents and community
members, got on board,” said Darryl Casey, Principal at Prince Charles
Public School, who noted that public health nurse Laura Fretz was also
instrumental in helping the school community reach these goals.
“Everything from enhancing the outdoor environment to planning school
trips considered active living.”

Over the last ten months, and working in tandem with community
partners such as county health units, schools planned and implemented
events, initiatives, and programming to foster mental and physical
health and wellness. Ophea used a point system to measure efforts.

“The North Ward community committed to four things: eating well,
getting enough sleep, getting our bodies moving, and giving back to the
wider community,” said Principal Cathy Shaheen of North Ward School’s
commitment to Healthy Schools. “Students had choice in the activities
they participated in to ensure they had fun, and were therefore more
likely to keep up the good work.” North Ward School also worked closely
with its public health nurse, Dianne Gammon, who played a significant part in helping the school implement the positive changes.

Ophea is a charitable organization that champions healthy, active
living in schools and communities through quality programs and services,
partnerships and advocacy, and is led by the vision that all children
and youth value and enjoy the lifelong benefits of healthy, active
living.